Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine has wrapped up. Which defensive backs and tight ends did the best to increase their draft stock on Friday? Which ones failed to do so? PFSN evaluates the biggest risers and fallers from Indianapolis.
2026 NFL Combine Day 2 Risers
Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin
Had Charles Demmings measured in a little heavier than 193 pounds, there’s a good chance he would have finished with a perfect 10.00 Relative Athletic Score. Nonetheless, he’ll certainly take the stellar 9.97 score he came away from the Combine with.
In addition to his blazing 4.41 time in the 40-yard dash, Demmings placed second among cornerbacks in both the broad and vertical jumps. His agility was on display in the positional drills, as well, showing the NFL that he’s a small-school prospect worth investing serious draft capital in.
Lorenzo Styles Jr., S, Ohio State
Not content to let his younger brother Sonny Styles take all the glory, Lorenzo Styles Jr. put together a tremendous performance on Day 2 of the Combine after his brother dominated Day 1. With a 4.27 40-yard dash, the older Styles led all defensive backs with the fastest time this year.
Styles also placed fourth among safeties with a strong 39-inch vertical jump, and his mobility shone with how well he changed direction in positional drills. His brother and fellow Buckeye defender Arvell Reese set the bar high for strong Combine performances the rest of the week, but having the fastest time of the day is a tremendous way to keep up.
Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon
If you turn on Kenyon Sadiq’s film from his time at Oregon, you can just see that he moves differently. He’s explosive off the line of scrimmage, quick coming out of his breaks, and fast down the field as a vertical threat. That said, his 40-yard dash on Friday still blew everyone out of the water.
With an official time of 4.39 seconds in the 40, Sadiq now holds the record for the fastest Combine run by a tight end in NFL history. He also jumped out of the gym with a 43.5-inch vertical and an 11’1″ broad jump at 241 pounds.
There was no doubt Sadiq was the best tight end in the class; now, he might be positioned as the overall best pass-catcher in the draft.
Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
Average size aside, Dillon Thieneman absolutely tore up the Combine on Friday. He performed incredibly well in speed and explosion testing, and his footwork and mobility looked polished and quick in positional drills. One could argue he now projects as a clearer favorite to be the second safety off the board after Caleb Downs.
Thieneman’s 41-inch vertical jump ranks in the 98th percentile among strong safeties, and his 4.35 40-yard dash ranks in the 99th. That elite testing athleticism, along with his versatility on defense and his effort as a tackler, should have him in high demand when the 2026 NFL Draft rolls around.
Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson
It takes a lot for a player to stand out at the Combine without running a 40-yard dash. That thought process can be applied to a few players who performed on Day 2, but one of the players it applies to the most would be Avieon Terrell.
He didn’t jump incredibly well in the vertical or broad jumps, but his movement skills in positional drills were nothing short of fantastic. He looked in complete control every step of the way, changing direction on a dime, flipping his hips seamlessly, and accelerating well out of his breaks. Terrell looked like a first-round pick out there on Friday.
Treydan Stukes, S, Arizona
Whether it’s as a nickel cornerback or as a safety, Treydan Stukes has NFL starting potential written all over him. That’s apparent by his playmaking, versatility, and competitiveness in coverage on tape, but now he has the official testing numbers to back up his strong film.
Stukes ran a stellar 4.33 40-yard dash at 6’1″ and 190 pounds, ranking fourth among all defensive backs on Day 2. His 10’10” broad jump came close to 95th percentile for safeties, and he also demonstrated good agility and ball-tracking skills in positional drills, as well.
2026 NFL Combine Day 2 Fallers
Miles Kitselman, TE, Tennessee
When watching Miles Kitselman on tape, it’s his run-blocking ability that provides the most value. As a result, an athleticism-forward event like the Combine was never going to be the best showcase of his skills. However, he likely wanted a better outing than what he ended up having on Friday.
Kitselman’s 4.90 40-yard dash was far and away the slowest of the tight ends at this year’s Combine. He measured in at 251 pounds, while SMU’s Matt Hibner came in at the exact same weight and ran a 4.57 time. He also placed in the bottom five in both the vertical and the broad jump, suggesting some concerns about his athleticism.
TJ Hall, CB, Iowa
Leading up to the Combine, I actually had TJ Hall as a safety on my own board. But the positional groupings saw him stay with his natural position at cornerback, and his performance there arguably pointed to a potential position change at the NFL level.
Hall’s 5.97 Relative Athletic Score was the lowest of all cornerbacks in Indianapolis this year. His 4.59 40-yard dash was the slowest at his position, and his 7.19 three-cone drill ranked No. 4 out of the five corners who actually performed the drill.
He’s a taller cornerback at 6’1″, but at 189 pounds, he should be putting up quicker times than that.
Hezekiah Masses, CB, California
All told, the 4.46 that Hezekiah Masses ran in the 40-yard dash was pretty good. He wins a lot on tape with his fluidity and ball skills, making him an impact coverage defender shooting downhill. That said, his overall testing profile at the Combine was underwhelming.
Masses ranked last among cornerbacks with a 31.5-inch vertical jump, placing 2.5 inches behind the second-lowest finisher. He was also the only cornerback and one of just two defensive backs to finish with a broad jump shorter than 10 feet. The tape is still strong with Masses, but he might be looking more at the early Day 3 range than a Day 2 pick now.
Bishop Fitzgerald, S, USC
Bishop Fitzgerald didn’t project as an elite testing athlete, as his game revolved heavily around quick processing and aggression, more so than raw speed, during his time at USC. It wasn’t necessarily a surprise he didn’t light it up in Indianapolis, though he surely wanted better numbers than how he ended up performing.
His 4.55 40-yard dash wasn’t bad at all by safety standards, but the remarkably fast times by his peers made that number look pedestrian. That rings especially true, considering he measured in on the smaller side at 5’11” and 201 pounds. His 33-inch vertical was only 41st-percentile at his position, too.
Honorable Mention Day 2 2026 NFL Combine Risers
- D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana
- Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
- Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
- Jadon Canady, CB, Oregon
- Toriano Pride Jr., CB, Missouri
- Jalon Kilgore, S, South Carolina
- Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn State
- Bud Clark, S, TCU
- A.J. Haulcy, S, LSU
- Jaren Kanak, TE, Oklahoma
- Justin Joly, TE, NC State
- Marlin Klein, TE, Michigan
- Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
